What we want to see from Apple in 2017

The Mac, iPod, and iPhone have made a significant impact in the everyday lives of millions of people. It’s no wonder, then, that both consumers and investors expect Apple to deliver another hit product. While Apple’s next big thing may not be clear at the moment, we’d like to delve into some hopes and dreams for the company for 2017.

An Amazon Echo competitor

The Amazon Echo has made a big splash in sales and functionality. The Echo’s voice assistant, Alexa, does a remarkable job at comprehending speech, and a variety of third-party extensions helps make the Echo one of the neatest in-home gadgets you can buy. Apple is expected to take a stab at the in-home assistant, hopefully with an upgraded and more comprehensive Siri on board. A Siri in-home device would likely offer superior integration with the iPhone, increasing convenience and desirability. Apple is also one of the most trusted technology brands, so customers may be more willing to bring an army of Apple microphones into their homes.

A fabulous new iPhone

2017 marks one decade after the original iPhone was unveiled, so we want to see Apple take a leap by offering a high screen-to-body ratio, and by improving the 2017 iPhone’s cosmetics and functionality. A high screen-to-body ratio would offer improved device appearance, while the larger screen would be just as easy to hold. Significant bumps in the device’s camera and processor are also expected. The names “iPhone 8” and “iPhone X” sound plausible for a 10th-anniversary iPhone.

iOS 11

Apple’s commitment to software updates for its iOS devices is unparalleled by any other company in the industry. With iOS 10 offering a sleeker design, richer notifications, and more expressive messaging, iOS 11 will likely improve on these and other features. A dark UI theme would work well on an iPhone with an OLED display, and snappier animations could make for a smoother user experience when coupled with the performance of Apple’s next-gen processor. More importantly, a native, local, proper document manager would be welcomed with open arms by users. iOS has been missing a proper file manager for quite some time.

As usual, iOS 11 is expected to be announced at WWDC 2017.

AN Apple Watch with interchangeable battery

This request is quite self-explanatory, but it’s a good idea just the same. Interchangeable batteries enable a full charge in no time, making the Watch something we could leave on the wrist just about 24/7, better enabling features such as sleep tracking.

No matter what Apple has in store for next year, 2017 is shaping up to be a big deal in tech. With Samsung’s hotly anticipated Galaxy S8 in the works, alongside flagships from LG, HTC, and Google in the pipeline, there will be something for everybody.